Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and GE Open Applications for Annual College Scholarship Program

Awarded to Students Who Embody the Vision and Values Personified by President Reagan: Leadership, Drive, Integrity and Citizenship

SIMI VALLEY, CA--(Marketwired - October 26, 2015) - The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and GE announced the launch of the 2016 GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program. The annual program selects up to 20 recipients to receive a $10,000 scholarship renewable for an additional three years -- up to $40,000 total per recipient.

"In our fifth year of the GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarships, students from the first year's program have now graduated and are going on to do great things," said John Heubusch, executive director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation. "It is our honor and privilege to support these inspiring young leaders as they begin their journey towards success."

Qualified applicants will be evaluated on leadership, drive, integrity, and citizenship:

Leadership -- Scholars pursue leadership roles that have a positive impact in communities and showcase the value of lifelong learning.

Drive -- Firm believers "that our best days are ahead," scholars have the conviction, ambition, discipline and courage to make their dreams reality.

Integrity -- Rooted in values and ethics, scholars possess the unique combination of integrity, dependability and humility that defined President Reagan's leadership.

Citizenship -- Scholars are driven by a sense of civic commitment and actively engage in their communities to affect positive change.

The GE Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program launched in 2011 to provide up to 200 four-year college scholarships over the next decade to deserving students who embody the vision and values personified by President Reagan. Scholarships will be applied to student tuition, room, and board while the recipient is pursuing a bachelor's degree at an accredited U.S. college or university. Nearly 100 student leaders who are attending or have attended 66 different colleges in the United States have received this award.

"At GE we are committed to developing leaders who are optimistic and curious. We are proud to have awarded scholarships to nearly 100 students since the program began four years ago. Strong leaders, like Ronald Reagan and the GE-Reagan Foundation Scholars, will build a better future," said Jeff Immelt, Chairman and CEO.

With a total $15 million grant, GE was the presenting sponsor of the Ronald Reagan Centennial Celebration in 2011, a celebration for the President's 100th birthday. As part of this partnership, $5 million was committed to establish this 10-year national college scholarship program. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation is contributing an additional $3 million to the program.

From 1954 through 1962, Ronald Reagan worked for GE as host of a weekly television series, General Electric Theater, and traveled as a GE spokesman to 139 GE plants meeting more than 250,000 employees. As part of each episode, Reagan highlighted the work of these employees by promoting GE products like automatic dishwashers and electric can openers, products that were transforming American homes with the era's emerging technologies. Reagan punctuated each spot with GE's tag line at the time: "Progress is Our Most Important Product."

Today, GE employs more than 130,000 American workers. Consistently lauded by outside sources such as BusinessWeek and FORTUNE magazines for principles considered core to President Reagan himself, GE has been ranked among the world's best companies for leaders, as one of Fast Company's most innovative, and as one of GI Jobs magazine's top military friendly employers while consistently scoring well as one of the best places to launch a career.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the legacy of Ronald Reagan and his timeless principles of individual liberty, economic opportunity, global democracy, and national pride. The Foundation also supports a scholarship program for graduates of Ventura County, Calif., high schools. More information about both programs is available at www.reaganfoundation.org/scholarships.

Qualified candidates may apply online between October 12, 2015 and January 7, 2016. To be considered for this award, candidates must complete the secure online application, in its entirety, prior to the deadline. Semifinalists must be nominated by a community leader, such as a high school principal, elected official or nonprofit executive.

In addition to being recognized at an awards ceremony in summer 2016, recipients remain engaged with the Foundation during and after college, and are supported with programming and other resources.

For more information on application requirements and a link to the application please visit:

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the legacy of Ronald Reagan and his timeless principles of individual liberty, economic opportunity, global democracy, and national pride. It sustains the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, the Reagan Center for Public Affairs, the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Presidential Learning Center and The Air Force One Pavilion. Located in Simi Valley, California the Library houses 63 million pages of Gubernatorial, Presidential and personal papers and over 60,000 gifts and artifacts chronicling the lives of Ronald and Nancy Reagan. It now also serves as the final resting place of America's 40th President. www.reaganfoundation.org

About GE:

GE (NYSE: GE) is the world's Digital Industrial Company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive. GE is organized around a global exchange of knowledge, the "GE Store," through which each business shares and accesses the same technology, markets, structure and intellect. Each invention further fuels innovation and application across our industrial sectors. With people, services, technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for customers by speaking the language of industry. www.ge.com